Everything You Need to Know About last night’s 2014 Grammy Award Performances

Everything You Need to Know About the 2014 Grammy Award Performances

The 56th Annual Grammy Awards, which take place January 26 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, will certainly be an event to remember. Everything about the night is a spectacle, whether it be watching the pre-show red carpet coverage, seeing your favorite artists mingle with one another, or predicting who’ll walk away with a gold-plated gramophone at the end of the night.

One of the key ingredients of the Grammy Awards is undoubtedly the performances, and there are quite a few on the menu for 2014. Instead of being caught off-guard tonight, click through this helpful guide to get an idea of what to expect. There's a mix of classic performances and crazy pairings. There's no question we’re about to to witness a artists from all walks of the musical landscape serve up some serious talent. Good luck to all the performers and congratulations to all the nominees!

Beyoncé and Jay Z

Music’s most powerful pair, Beyoncé and Jay Z, opened the Grammy Awards together with a performance of "Drunk in Love." This was Beyoncé's first televised performance since surprising fans with the release of her self-titled fifth solo album in December. Remember when we premiered "Grown Woman?" We still watch it over and over again too.
Jay Z lead the whole 2014 Grammy class with nine nominations, and took home a "gold sippy cup" for daughter Blue Ivy Carter for best rap/sung collaboration for "Holy Grail," with Justin Timberlake.

Katy Perry with Juicy J

At this point Katy Perry is a seasoned Grammy performer. In 2009 she performed her hit record “I Kissed a Girl,” which was also nominated for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance that year. In 2011 she switched it up a bit and performed a musical medley of “Not Like the Movies” and “Teenage Dream.”
It went so well she took the stage for another dual performance of "E.T." and "Part of Me" at the 2012 Grammy Awards. Katy Perry has been nominated for nine Grammys over the course of five award shows. She took the stage to perform her latest single “Dark Horse.” The song features Memphis rapper Juicy J, who came out to rap his verse on the hit song.

Daft Punk with Stevie Wonder, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers

It’s very seldom that the masked electronic music duo Daft Punk perform in front of a television audience of millions. In fact, tracing their last time on live television leads us right back to the Grammy Awards, where the French artists joined Kanye West onstage to perform “Stronger” in 2008. This time around, the major winners were be the main act. But they also brought a few friends of their own.
Legendary artist Stevie Wonder, producer Pharrell Williams, and the iconic Nile Rodgers joined the robots on stage for an unforgettable show. They started things out with “Get Lucky,” a perfect fit as the record originally includes Pharrell and Rodgers. It also took home the Grammys for record of the year and best pop duo/group performance. Stevie Wonder was serve as a special guest, and that expression isn’t being used lightly here. Wonder has 22 Grammys, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award to boot. The group performed a rendition of Wonder's "Another Star."
Daft Punk’s trophy case is looking heavy as well. They have two awards to date and also took home awards for Random Access Memories as album of the year and best dance/electronica album.

Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons

From a stylistic standpoint, putting rap phenom Kendrick Lamar onstage with rock band du jour Imagine Dragons seems out of left field. Then again, rules are made to be broken, and the Grammy Awards have been a sight for many unusual collaborations that end up being spectacular.
They will be performing a mash up of Kendrick Lamar’s “M.A.A.D. City” and Imagine Dragon’s “Radioactive,” a song that is up for two Grammy nominations: Best Rock Performance and Record of the Year. Kendrick, on the other hand, has received seven Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Rap Album for his critically acclaimed 2012 release Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, as well as Best New Artist. This will be the first time either artist has performed at the Grammys.

P!nk with Nate Ruess

Billboard Woman of the Year, P!nk will take the stage with the lead singer of fun., Nate Ruess, and all signs point to them performing “Just Give Me a Reason.” The song has been a tremendous success for Pink, staying atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three consecutive weeks in the Spring of 2013. The song has also earned them two Grammy nominations, one for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, and another for Song of the Year, which Ruess won last year alongside his band and Janelle Monáe for their record “We Are Young.” Pink has taken the stage once before in 2010 to perform “Glitter in the Air.”

Blake Shelton, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Kris Kristofferson

Something special is on deck tonight; Blake Shelton joins timeless greats Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Merle Haggard onstage at the Grammy Awards. The collaboration is being billed as a “Grammy Moment,” but what song the quartet plans to perform is still a secret.
On a related note, Kristofferson is being honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 77-year-old Texas icon paved the way for contemporary country artists like Blake Shelton. Shelton is yet to win a Grammy through four nominations, but with two more this year for Best Country Album and Best Country Solo Performance, that could all change. Willie Nelson has collected quite a few in his day, eleven to be exact, while Haggard has three of his own.

Lorde

Lorde took the stage last night to perform song of the year "Royals." The 17-year-old star from New Zealand's megahit spent nine consecutive weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, breaking several records in the process. Lorde also took home the award for Best Pop Solo Performance. This doubles as Lorde’s first appearance and performance at the Grammy Awards.

Metallica with Lang Lang

Both heavy metal band Metallica and classical pianist Lang Lang will be stepping out of their comfort zones when they perform together at the 2014 Grammy Awards. This is arguably the most interesting pairing of the night, and likewise has the biggest opportunity to impress viewers when they take the stage. This is the first time in over 20 years that Metallica is performing at the Grammy Awards; their last time was in 1992. Lang Lang, who has been tapped as the Grammy’s cultural ambassador to China, made a more recent appearance in 2008 where he performed a duet with legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. Metallica is up for a nominee in the Best Recording Package category, though technically that would be awarded to the art director and not the performers if they won.

Robin Thicke with Chicago

Robin Thicke will be joined by the band Chicago at the 2014 Grammy Awards, and whatever surprise they’re hiding for the night will likely be kept under wraps until showtime. This collaboration bridges a generational gap, one that younger and older fans will be able to enjoy. Chicago, who won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group in 1977, have been going strong as one of America’s most well known rock bands since the late ‘60s.
Robin Thicke’s been around for over a decade, but took it to another level in the last year. Hs hit record “Blurred Lines” featuring Pharrell and T.I. stayed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 12 consecutive weeks, one of the longest streaks of all time. That may be the reason why “Blurred Lines” is up for two Grammy nominations, including “Record of the Year” and “Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.” Thicke’s album, which shares the same title as the song, is also up for the Best Pop Vocal Album category.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Madonna and Miranda Lambert.

Hip-hop’s favorite independent rap duo, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, will be gracing the stage at this year’s Grammys. The performance comes after an extensive and successful touring schedule in 2013, in which the two Seattle artists spent nearly half the year connecting with fans in concert venues across the world. By night’s end at the Grammys, they could also be walking away with some golden hardware.
The duo are up for seven nominations, including Best New Artist, Song of the Year for “Same Love,” as well as Album of the Year and Best Rap Album for their 2012 debut release, The Heist. This will also mark Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ first Grammy performance. While there’s no word yet on what they’ll be performing, songs “Can’t Hold Us” and “Thrift Shop” are the likely candidates.
The queen of pop, Madonna herself will join Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on stage with country superstar Miranda Lambert. It's likely the performance will be a medley of three vastly different styles of music. One thing's for sure: it'l be a blonde-heavy stage.

John Legend

John Legend has a history with the Grammy Awards. In 2006 he won Best New Artist, Best R&B Album for his 2004 debut Gift Lifted, as well as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. He also performed twice that night. This year marked Legend’s fifth performance at the Grammy Awards. The 35-year-old artist was nominated for Best R&B Album for Love in the Future. He performed a soulful rendition of his song, "All of Me."

Keith Urban and Gary Clark, Jr.

Keith Urban took the Grammy stage for the first time since 2011, where he performed a tribute to Dolly Parton with Norah Jones and John Mayer. He also collaborated with Al Green, Justin Timberlake, and Boyz II Men in 2009, performing Green’s smooth record “Let’s Stay Together.” Last night he performed his latest single, "Cop Car," with a little help from Gary Clark. Jr.
It was a first for Gary Clark, Jr. twice over as the blues guitarist and singer made his Grammy Awards debut performance. It coincided with his frist Grammy win, taking home the award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves is rolling out of the 2014 Grammys on a high note. The 25-year-old country artist from Texas released her album Same Trailer Different Park last March, which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. That project from Musgraves also produced a few successful records, one of them being her latest single “Follow Your Arrow,” the song she perfomed last night flanked in light up cowboy boots in front of a pink neon cactus. Musgraves took home Best Country Album, and Best Country Song for “Merry Go’ Round.” This was her first time appearing at and performing for the Grammys.

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr

The 2014 Grammys were definitely be a night to remember for Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Both Beatles members will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards. This momentous accolade comes after the Beatles earned nine Grammys as a group. To commemorate the occasion, Paul and Ringo performed for the first time together since 2009.

Along with the Lifetime Achievement Award, McCartney won best rock song for “Cut Me Some Slack,” a collaboration with the surviving members of Nirvana. Aside from his awards with the Beatles, he has seven Grammys from his days as a solo artist and as the founding member of Paul McCartney and Wings.

Sara Bareilles and Carole King

Sara Bareilles and Carole King performed a special duet of King's "Beautiful," and Bareilles' "Brave." King was honored with the 2014 MusiCares Person of the Year Award, and has received four Grammys during her career, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award last year. Bareilles received two nominations this year, including Best Pop Solo Performance for “Brave” and an Album of the Year nod for The Blessed Unrest.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift and the Grammy Awards have has a beautiful relationship ever since the country/pop star was nominated for Best New Artist in 2008. Sure, she didn’t go home with a Grammy that year, but the 24-year-old artist has gone on to win seven awards since. She’s almost racked up the same amount of performances, starting in 2009 with her “Fifteen” duet with Miley Cyrus. She followed that up with an impressive medley in 2010 alongside Stevie Nicks and Butch Walker.
This year's Grammy performance brings her running tally to five, she did a passionate rendition of her song "All Too Well."

Hunter Hayes

Hunter Hayes took the stage last night to debut his new single, "Invisible." He was also was a notable participant last year as he was nominated for three Grammys, including Best New Artist. Unfortunately, he didn’t bring home any awards, but at his young age there’s no doubt he’ll be competing in the Country music categories for years to come. Hayes also received one nomination this year, Best Country Solo Performance for “I Want Crazy.”

Billie Joe Armstrong and Miranda Lambert

Green Day’s lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong performed a moving duet with country star Miranda Lambert at this year’s Grammy Awards. The performance was a special In Memoriam tribute to Phillip "Phil" Everly, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 74. Phil and his brother Isaac Donald "Don" Everly, known as The Everly Brothers, paved the way for other country and rockabilly acts during their career. In 1997, they received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for their impact. It will likely be the case that Armstrong and Lambert will be performing a song from the Everly Brothers’ catalog.

Lindsey Buckingham, Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails, and Queens of the Stone Age

Rock stars Dave Grohl, Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham closed out the 2014 Grammy Awards ceremony with a mega performance. It was the first ever Grammy performance from Nine Inch Nails, though they have taken home two awards in their storied career, and were nominated in the Best Alternative Music Album category for Hesitation Marks. Queens of the Stone Age received two nominations this year as well. Dave Grohl has won the most awards out of the group, with 11 earned through his work with the Foo Fighters alone. Grohl and the lead vocalists from Nine Inch Nails and Queens of the Stone Age, Trent Reznor and Josh Homme, worked on a song together last year called “Mantra.” The performance started out with NIN and Buckingham performing "Copy Of A!" Then Queens of the Stoneage and Dave Grohl played "My God Is The Sun," ending the night on a thrilling, powerful note.